It's Not a Cap - It's a Flag.
For this Throwback Thursday I decided to dig up my very first New Era Cap.
It was around the year 2002 I was 12 years-old and shopping with my mum and little sister. Shopping with these two meant going into a shop and looking for a seat and waiting a long time. Every once in a while I would find a shop that I would actually want to go in and the shop in question was a streetwear shop in Wood Green, North London. My eyes were drawn straight to the hat rack and a Boston Celtics cap caught my attention.
I've been a Celtics fan from the age of 11, when I started secondary school I began to play basketball and it took the spotlight away from every English boy's first love; football. I had seen this particular design before in the Lakers' retro blue/white colours and Chicago Bulls colours so to see my team in this style, the cap had to be mine.
My mum asked how much it was and the guy's exact words were "For you... £15."
To my dismay I didn't get the hat that day as apparently we were just looking and this was the first time I can remember feeling the burn of not being able to get something I really wanted. However I was promised that the next time we were there I could get it.
Needless to say a couple weeks later we were back in Wood Green and this time I was on a mission. It must have been the first shop we went into on that trip and I went straight to the desk and asked for the hat.
This time I was told the price was £25. I thought "Am I hearing this right? £25? You said £15 when I was here before." For about the next 15-20 minutes my mum haggled with the guy to get the price back to £15 eventually he saw the light and cash was exchanged. There was no need for a bag the cap went straight on my head.
In 2005 I had the opportunity to watch the Harlem Globetrotters that is when I got Airport to sign my cap because he wore the same number I did when I played ball.
Shout out my mum. You the best *DJ Khaled voice*